Park Ranger Wilson Alt

South Carolina state park rangers are hardworking, dedicated and committed servicemen and women that contribute to the South Carolina State Parks in a valuable and tremendous way. Ranger Wilson Alt at Santee State Park is just one of the many rangers who, on a daily basis, commit to bettering the park in which he works and helping park guests enjoy their time outdoors.

Ranger Wilson Alt grew up in the small town of Richburg, South Carolina and often visited state parks like Chester and Landsford Canal. When asked how he prepared for his job as a ranger, Ranger Wilson replied, “Living on a farm and working as a handyman throughout high school gave me a lot of maintenance skills that I continue to use.”  After high school, Ranger Wilson decided to attend Clemson University and major in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management. It was at Clemson that one of his professors encouraged him to pursue a ranger position at Huntington Beach State Park after graduating. “After about a month at Huntington, I was hooked,” Ranger Wilson said.

Throughout his three years as a park ranger, Wilson has worked at Cheraw, Huntington, Lake Warren and Santee state parks. Like many other rangers, Ranger Wilson’s activities vary daily. “Every park and day is different. I help keep the park running smoothly and focus on helping visitors have fun. So within the same day I could be in the office helping a visitor decide which trail to walk and then moments later, knee deep in mud fixing a water main,” Ranger Wilson said. 

Being a park ranger is not an easy job, but Ranger Wilson says the hardest thing he deals with is litter. “Picking up trash that has been purposefully discarded on the park grounds really gets to me. Not in a major way, but it is upsetting,” he said. (So be sure to help our rangers out by ensuring that you are properly discarding your waste in the designated areas.) Overall, Ranger Wilson says that being out in nature and helping others enjoy nature is extremely satisfying. Thank you Ranger Wilson for your help and we appreciate your service to the South Carolina State Parks.